The present invention relates to a wheel hub or wheel bearing assembly with a centering device for vehicles, such as commercial vehicles or farm vehicles.
Wheel hub or wheel bearing assemblies of the type in question are known from the prior art. For example, DE 100 49 615 A1 discloses a wheel hub or wheel bearing assembly having a wheel hub which is supported rotatably on an axle body. In order to center the wheel, the wheel hub comprises a recess. A problem of such wheel hub or wheel bearing assemblies, however, is that due to the centering projection in the wheel hub the minimum diameter of the central opening of the wheel rim is limited. In order to overcome this problem, there exist wheel hub or wheel bearing assemblies with a centering device which is smaller than the inner diameter of the wheel hub, by arranging a pot-shaped brake disc upstream of the bearing assembly, which brake disc has a corresponding centering seat of a smaller diameter. However, a problem of such systems is that the wheel bearing unit is subject to enormous thermal stresses since the pot of the pot-shaped brake disc shields the wheel bearing unit from cooling from the outside and, in addition, heat may be introduced directly into the wheel bearing unit during the braking process.
Therefore, the object underlying the present invention is to provide a wheel hub or wheel bearing assembly with a centering device for vehicles, such as commercial vehicles or farm vehicles, which may be adjusted flexibly to the wheel rims to be arranged thereon without exerting a negative thermal influence on the wheel bearing system.
DE 10 2006 029 604 A1 relates to a wheel bearing for a motor vehicle comprising an outer ring with a radial wheel flange and at least one inner ring, between which rings rolling bodies are arranged in tracks in such a way that they can be rolled along, and with an axial centering portion onto which a wheel rim as well as a brake disc may be mounted.
DE 19 637 940 A1 relates to a hub for a driving wheel with an axial recess for a screw or nut for attaching a driving device on the hub.
EP 0 237 794 A2 relates to a bearing arrangement with a bearing inner ring manufactured as a single piece, which comprises a fissure seam, which is arranged between the two tracks of the bearing inner ring.